>>> What's wrong with corn? beef? soy? ...etc? She needs to back up some of >>> these assertions with cold, hard facts.
Thanks, Penny. What would the producers use if they didn't use beef or soy or corn? Whenever I hear about some of the claims against the dog food industry (and I'm certainly not defending it) I think about all the animals in shelters awaiting adoption...and those who don't get out of the shelters alive. I also think about all of the retired people on fixed incomes who find a lot of joy in their pets. Is it really in the best interest of dogs of the world to pressure the food producers to change the way they make dog food? ...which will inevitably raise prices? Is it good to make informed, but poor, potential owners feel shamed if all they can afford to feed their dogs is generic Wal-Mart/grocery store food? Will it make some good potential owners pass on getting a dog, feeling like they can't afford to give them "good" care? I'm all for improvements in animal feed production, and I'm sure there's room for improvements, but I am more concerned about simple survival for more animals - and for more pressure to be put on owners to spay and neuter. Maybe I'm odd, but I'd prefer to see fewer unwanted pups born, and more dogs adopted, even if they can't live a "premium" lifestyle, rather than see fewer dogs adopted, but being treated royally. And, of course, as Penny pointed out, can we really say that some of the premium ways of feeding the dogs are even better? I've fed some of my dogs special diets to deal with medical conditions, but otherwise, I usually feed moderately priced or even store brands. Johnny, the rescued pug, died this summer at 16, and Dotty the pointer-mutt died last spring at 15. Both of them thrived on store brands and both were throwaways, that wouldn't have lived if I hadn't taken them. I can't afford to keep the 9-12 cats, and 4-6 dogs we typically have at any time if I feed them royally. I don't think my dogs suffer TOO badly - they all are neutered and they all have their basic shots, and get heartworm protection. If I get to the point where I feel like I can feed premium foods (or hand-prepared, all meat diets), I'll just take in more throwaways and keep feeding as we do. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.8/1153 - Release Date: 11/26/2007 9:08 PM
